Photo of Nicholas Sterling

"Here's the deal bud, you're looking at years, probably twenty years, fifteen if you're lucky. You've got nothing else to loose so why not spit it out and make my job easier?" Reese stared into the eyes of the repeated offender. Jonas Brook.

He had a knack for stealing people's identities from a young age, growing up with less than nothing Jonas had found a shortcut to live easily without having to even get a job, his targets were big spenders, some of them don't realize that their money is gone because they always make more and those who do realize is usually too late. he became addicted to the life he lead and like it that way, luck had been on his side for quite a while but Jonas' luck had ran out when he was arrested for stealing Nicholas Sterlings' identity.

Luck however was on Reese's' side, it was one step closer to the missing man he and his team were searching for.

Jonas knew the penalty for his crimes, the young man sitting in front of him telling him he had nothing to lose was wrong. Jonas liked his freedom and he didn't want it taken away to spend the rest of his life behind metal bars and staring at dinged concrete walls with some punk as a cellmate.

"How long were you targeting Nicholas Sterling? Did Mr. Sterling drop his credit card and you conveniently picked it up?"

"If I tell you will you help me out?" Jonas questioned. He knew he was going to jail either way but maybe if he cooperated the fellow could reduce the years.

"Local police have been looking for you in six different states, it'll be a hell of a miracle if I can" Reese smirked.

"But yet I have a feeling you can do it" Jonas retorted.

"Well, maybe I can, maybe I can't...depends on what you give me" Reese firmly stated, he needed clues.

"A dealer."

Reese frowned, "who?" that was the suitable question to ask, who would sell Nicholas Sterling's identity?

"A woman. Bougie but a looker, a sweet talker too" Jonas smirked remembering the lady in white. She was like an angel but he knew better than to think that she was anything but, she was selling him credit cards for Christ sake. Jonas came across her type numerous times in his life, the ones that didn't want their feathers to be ruffled, the neat freaks and perfectionist. She was definitely the type of person that would do anything to get what she wanted, no matter what it was.

Jonas knew he shouldn't have gotten involved with that sort of woman but someone was on his tail and he need the money quick, lady in white had appeared in an instant and offered him a solution, of course he took it against his better judgement.

Now here he was all because of that decision.

Reese had perked up at Jonas' statement. Was he possibly referring to Mrs. Sterling?

"What did she look like?"

"A redhead, pale blue eyes, tall and slender, great body, she's an older woman though probably near her fifties."

It was a fact that Marian Sterling did not have red hair but Reese wouldn't rule out that there was a possibility that the redhead could've been her.

Standing, Reese exited the interrogation room and went into the conference room where his team awaited. The captain was standing was leaning against the long table with his arms folded.

"Doesn't seem like it's the missus he's talking about" Arden noted. He was the new rookie, and obviously still had a ways to go.

"It could be her, but there's a possibility that it isn't." Remi piped. She was analyzing the description of the woman in her head, it matched Marian Sterling to a T but there was one detail that was out of place. The red hair.

"Could've been a wig the woman wore" Dean interjected, "dealers conceal their identities often, it wouldn't be surprising if Mrs. CEO put a rug on her head and strutted out the door."

"You think so?" Arden frowned; he had read everything there was about the Sterling family. They were a perfect loving family according to the tabloids and the rest of the world who knew them, not a bad thing was to say about them.

"You'll come to find that people have different faces for different occasions Arden, don't be fooled by pretty smiles kind words. I thought you learnt your lesson already with Remi" the captain spoke; he too believed that the family was a nice one, perfect even.

But in the real world nothing was perfect. And the Sterling family seemed to be giving the rest of the world an illusion, one that would soon crumble at their feet.

.

.

"Here you go; I hope it's to your liking" the woman known as Marian Sterling smiled as she served tea to her guests. Reese had took the time to watch the older woman since he arrived at her home, every little detail of her he locked away in his mind.

There wasn't a flaw in how she treated her guests, the perfect host. And the way she carried herself, with fierce confidence and grace, Reese and the captain could see why many women envied her. She oozed elegance.

"It's delicious thank you." Captain replied.

"Now, what can I help you two gentlemen with?"

"Ah, yes, we're investigating your husband, Nicholas Sterling. Recently we tracked purchases to his credit cards and found him in a casino in Vegas, well his credit card anyway" David explained.

Reese kept his eyes trained on Marian, he saw as her jaw clenched for half a second at the mention of her husband's name. She frowned as David told her they had found his credit card and not him.

"I see, is that where he had gone to all this time? Thank you for telling me that, would you mind telling me his specific location?"

David's eyebrows shot to his hairline, he was interested "may I ask why?"

"To send him divorce papers of course. You cannot imagine how humiliating it must be to have your spouse run out on you and your children, if Nicholas wants freedom then I will give it to him." There was anger in her words and sadness in written on her face but there was absolutely nothing in her eyes behind the mock tears that filled them.

She must have practiced in front of a mirror for hours, Reese thought.

The sound of the front door opening and closing got their attention, three heads turned as the Sterling children made their entrance.

"Mother, we are back" Simeon announced, his gaze soon shifted to his friend and the stranger sitting next to him. His heart raced as hope bloomed within him.

"Good afternoon" the three children chorused, greeting the strangers in their house.

"Hello my darlings, how was school?" Marian asked as she wiped the corners of her eyes.

"It was fine, is there something wrong Mother?" Vivienne frowned as she saw what was obvious faked tears her mother was wiping away.

"No darling, come. Meet federal agents David Butch and Reese Lockwood, gentlemen these are my children Simeon, Vivienne and Levi."

The three Sterling children stepped forward and shook the hands of the two men while politely saying 'it's nice to meet you'.

"Mother, why are federal agents here?" Simeon asked, although he already knew the answer to his question.

"They have found your father" Marian confessed.

Shock ran through each Sterling child like a bucket of ice cold water, Simeon felt like his heart could burst, he hoped his father was alright.

"Is he alright? Where is he?" Levi voiced the questions on his older brother's mind while Vivienne sat like a vegetable.

They found him?! Then why is mother still sitting here? Shouldn't...then the realization dawned on her, they couldn't have possibly found him. Tears blinded her vision as she bit her lip guilty. She heard the hope in Levi's voice and her heart ached as her throat tightened. I am a horrible person.

Reese watched Vivienne, frozen as she bit her lip, her faced full of anguish as tears of guilt pooled in her eyes.

What does she have to be guilty of? Does she know something?

"Uh, no. we did not find Mr. Sterling-" David tried to explain before Marian cut him off.

"But you just said..."

"We found his credit card, not him."

"Exactly what are you saying?" Marian questioned.

"Someone else has been using his credit cards, living off of his money."

"So you haven't found my father?" Simeon frowned; David shook his head "Nicholas Sterling is still missing; we have the man that was using his credit cards in custody. We have a strong feeling that he's been kidnapped, probably by a team of people."

Marian gasped, "b-but, that's horrid! It's been two years what reason would they have to keep him alive?!"

"Money." Simeon stated simply. Any idiot could figure it out, the longer he stayed with the kidnappers the more money they got.

"Wouldn't they just ask for a ransom so that we can have him home?" Marian cried.

Vivienne felt disgusted with the woman she was sitting next to. Bring him home? You were always one to make a joke out of people you monster!

"Usually, but professionals know that a man will do anything to keep his family safe. If he keeps supplying his abductors with money it is to keep you safe, it is to my understanding that you filed a missing report correct?" Reese spoke for the first time.

"Yes, when he didn't come home after a few days when he disappeared the night of our 26th anniversary. I thought he'd gotten caught up in work like he always does but when I went into his office his secretary said he hadn't been in at all, that's when I filed the report of him missing." Marian explained "I'd been beside myself with worry, as was my children. After all that trouble I went through at the police station only to come home to find he'd packed his things and left! Now you tell me it's just the opposite?" shaking her head tears ran down Marian's cheeks "please find my husband."

"We will do everything in our power to find your husband and bring him back to you" David vowed.

He and Reese soon left the Sterlings house after the award winning performance that she displayed. It was clear as day to Reese and his captain, the perfect family was not perfect at all, the fear that rolled from the middle child was not because she was worried about her father's well-being. No. it was something more and Reese was going to find out.